Proceedings. 295 



From H. F. Anstey, Esq., were received fine specimens of moun- 

 tain duck {Casarca Tadornoides), and of the native hen {Trihonyx 

 Mortieri). 



Samuel Moses, Esq., presented a large branched zoophile from 

 the island of Wahoo, one of the Caroline group, having. a minutely 

 ramified horny axis, with but a very partial deposit, of calcareous 

 matter of a pale bluish white colour, extending from the base or pedicle 

 along the principal branches. 



Thomas Dobson, Esq., of the High School, presented a well- 

 finished model in wood of a self-registering tide gauge by himself. 

 A perpendicular to the float, which is enclosed in a wooden box, 

 acting upon a pencil by means of a diagonal moving in a horizon- 

 tal slide, describes the rise and fall of the water on the surface of a 

 cylinder covered with paper, to which motion is given by a common 

 Dutch clock, and which cylinder may be subdivided to represent 

 hours and minutes of the day and night. Mr. Dobson obligingly 

 promised to furnish to the Society a written exposition of the con- 

 struction and mode of working the instrument, with a diagram. — [The 

 meeting considered it desirable that tidal observations should be 

 made at the various light-houses maintained by the colony, and at 

 Port Arthur, and other distant points well adapted for obtaining 

 results uninfluenced by long narrow channels, freshes from the mouths 

 of large rivers, &c. It is understood that His Excellency Sir William 

 Denison, President of the Society, is favourable to the scheme.] 



From R. W. Fenwick, Esq., P.M., Hamilton, has been received a 

 case containing twenty-five varieties of dahlia from England for the 

 Society's gardens. 



Two cases of plants have been forwarded per John Souchay to 

 Mauritius for the Botanic garden there ; and Capt. Fallenstein is 

 commissioned to procure on return a number of Cape plants, &c. for 

 this Society. 



The Secretary read the following extracts from a report made in 

 1824, after survey of the west coast of Tasmania, by Mr. Hobbs, and 

 now obligingly forwarded by James Gibson, Esq., of Circular Head, 

 for examination : — 



" Pieman's River is in latitude 41 ° 40' 13" S. The mouth of it is totally 

 unfit to approach, even with a boat, from the very heavy swell that immediately 

 runs in upon the bay ; and, in fact, all along this coast there is as much sea 

 in fine weather as there is on the east coast in a gale of wind. I was obliged 

 to carry a boat into the river. I proceeded up 18 miles before I met anything 

 to impede my progress, when I arrived at numerous falls, and hauled the boat 

 over them: thjs is as far as any boat can go. The falls are 21 in number. 



